Thursday, June 21, 2007

Romney does not just talk about problems; he fixes them. In 2001, I attended a training meeting for thousands of Olympic volunteers where Romney gave an inspiring speech. Afterwards, the parking lot exiting into a busy street was so backed up that hardly anyone moved for 20 minutes. Suddenly, traffic began to flow. Upon arriving at the exit, I saw why the gridlock had ended. In what is probably the purest example of leadership I have ever witnessed, there was Mitt Romney, the CEO of the Olympic Games, directing traffic in the middle of a frenetic six-lane road. He did not send an aide; he did not form a 'gridlock amelioration' planning committee. Romney headed into the traffic personally, and solved the problem effectively and immediately.

During the Olympics, I was driving with the President of the Italian Ski Federation. He asked me how I thought the Games were going. I replied, "I think pretty well." He responded, "No. These are definitely the best organized and best operated Games ever. And you can take it from me. I have been to every one for nearly the last 40 years." Such efficient administration and excellent operations are the result of Mitt Romney's tremendous leadership.

Once Romney declared his candidacy, I estimated that Mitt had better than even odds of becoming the next US President. I expect Romney to win this contest because he has been successful in essentially everything he has ever done.

Consider Romney's historical trend:- Education: Harvard MBA Baker Scholar & Harvard J.D. cum laude, BYU graduate with Highest Honors- Career: Launched hundreds of impressive companies, such as Staples, Domino's and Brookstone; led one of the world's most prestigious management consulting firms; earned billions of dollars for others- Olympics: Led one of the best organized and financially successful Olympic Games- Family: Raised five productive boys and maintained a single, successful marriage while also serving in his faith- Politics: Won as a Republican the Governorship of Massachusetts where Romney took every possible measure to protect the institution of marriage; now Romney looks to be the leader in key early states like Iowa and New Hampshire while possibly also leading in delegate-rich states like California.